These companies are all saving millions of dollars per year by hiring half-priced foreign workers.

This is more bad news for the American unemployment rate.

-Dave Chapman
Palo Alto, CA

]]>By: RichardBennetthttp://pando.com/2014/04/17/rep-anna-eshoo-no-longer-eschews-pac-fundraising-collects-cash-from-tech-heavyweights/#comment-86465
Fri, 18 Apr 2014 04:30:04 +0000http://pando.com/?p=137770#comment-86465Todd Dunning Members of Congress are elected, not appointed, so they only answer to the voters and can generally only be turned out of office by an election. Appointed officials – such as executive branch department heads – can be removed at any time, at the pleasure of the President. Elected officials are free to behave as they see fit, as are all other citizens, as long as they obey the law. They may not win re-election if they stray too far from the wishes of the plurality, but it’s pretty rare for incumbents to lose. Members are not bound by law to serve any particular interest.

As I’m not a leftist, I don’t have much interest in wringing my hands over their behavior. It seems to me that the article’s main focus is on Eshoo’s changing her policy on PACs. And yes, it has the standard faux populist reaction to money in politics, but this is Pando Daily, so what do you expect?

My point was another one; a reminder that their appointment is to represent their district constituency, period. I don’t have an interest in their technical process to decide a vote – whether it’s by conscience, a finger in the wind, or the polls.

But the Leftist oligarchic scenario you suggest, where “…it’s not responsible to support any local interest that’s at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole..” would fortunately lead to swift reaction from that district’s voters, and the problem takes care of itself. Darn democracy.

So we agree that district members “…all deserve representation”. But this means that all views must be respected, whether you believe they are “at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole” or not. This is a common challenge for the Left, always seeking to amend that ‘archaic’ old Constitution.

The article’s quaint assumption that the involvement and support of our businesses is bad for the citizen does take me back to high school years, though.

My point was another one; a reminder that their appointment is to represent their district constituency, period. I don’t have an interest in their technical process to decide a vote – whether it’s by conscience, a finger in the wind, or the polls.

But the Leftist oligarchic scenario you suggest, where “…it’s not responsible to support any local interest that’s at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole..” would fortunately lead to swift reaction from that district’s voters, and the problem takes care of itself. Darn democracy.

So we agree that district members “…all deserve representation”. But this means that all views must be respected, whether you believe they are “at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole” or not. This is a common challenge for the Left, always seeking to amend that ‘archaic’ old Constitution.

The article’s quaint assumption that the involvement and support of our businesses is bad for the citizen does take me back to high school years, though.

]]>By: RichardBennetthttp://pando.com/2014/04/17/rep-anna-eshoo-no-longer-eschews-pac-fundraising-collects-cash-from-tech-heavyweights/#comment-86438
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:35:35 +0000http://pando.com/?p=137770#comment-86438Todd Dunning Can you show me the text in the Constitution that says members of Congress should stick their fingers to the wind and go with the polls instead of voting their own consciences? No, you can’t because there is no such text, so you’re wrong as a factual matter.

You also err in assuming that a district has one and only one interest. Districts include young and old people; men, women, and children; business owners, workers, and the unemployed; and a number of people who breath air and drink water. They all deserve representation, both for their short-term and their long-term interests. A successful legislators pleases a plurality of the voters across the broad range of interests and issues.

]]>By: RichardBennetthttp://pando.com/2014/04/17/rep-anna-eshoo-no-longer-eschews-pac-fundraising-collects-cash-from-tech-heavyweights/#comment-86437
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:35:34 +0000http://pando.com/?p=137770#comment-86437Todd Dunning Can you show me the text in the Constitution that says members of Congress should stick their fingers to the wind and go with the polls instead of voting their own consciences? No, you can’t because there is no such text, so you’re wrong as a factual matter.

You also err in assuming that a district has one and only one interest. Districts include young and old people; men, women, and children; business owners, workers, and the unemployed; and a number of people who breath air and drink water. They all deserve representation, both for their short-term and their long-term interests. A successful legislators pleases a plurality of the voters across the broad range of interests and issues.

Respectfully sir, she’s the California18th district Congresswoman. She was elected by SM county & district voters as their representative. She is to do what her constituents voted her to do, period, without exception.

I disagree strongly that “…it’s not responsible to support any local interest that’s at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole.” That sounds suspiciously like Liberals who believe the people should just do as they are told, and not rock the boat.

Respectfully sir, she’s the California18th district Congresswoman. She was elected by SM county & district voters as their representative. She is to do what her constituents voted her to do, period, without exception.

I disagree strongly that “…it’s not responsible to support any local interest that’s at odds with the interest of the nation as a whole.” That sounds suspiciously like Liberals who believe the people should just do as they are told, and not rock the boat.

]]>By: RichardBennetthttp://pando.com/2014/04/17/rep-anna-eshoo-no-longer-eschews-pac-fundraising-collects-cash-from-tech-heavyweights/#comment-86429
Thu, 17 Apr 2014 23:13:16 +0000http://pando.com/?p=137770#comment-86429Todd Dunning No, not really. Members of Congress govern the entire nation, not just a district. Just as it’s not responsible for members from coal mining districts to oppose clean energy, it’s not responsible to support any local interest that’s at odds with the interest of the nation and the planet as a whole. It’s better for members from such districts to try to attract some better employers.
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